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Westminster diary

By Tam Dalyell

WHAT is being done to make safe Russia’s huge fleet of ageing nuclear submarines? Not so long ago it was said there were 96 subs waiting to be scrapped. Now, good news from Nigel Griffiths, the Department of Trade and Industry minister with responsibility for nuclear clean-up matters. Two Oscar-1 class nuclear-powered subs have been dismantled at the Zvezdochka shipyard at Severodvinsk on time and within the budget of £11.5 million. It was the biggest project involving UK-Russian cooperation set up under the G8 Global Partnership.